The Last Temptation of Beck: The Untold Story of a Pop Messiah by Josephine Riesman
Like the author, Josephine Riesman, and many of the other fans
featured in the intriguing book The Last Temptation of Beck: The Untold
Story of a Pop Messiah, I was an early adherent of Beck. I fell in love
with his strange visions, loving the sound of “Loser” and “Beercan”. However,
once I began to listen to his b-sides for these songs, I absolutely loved his
work. Songs like “Soul Sucking Jerk”, “Got No Mind”, “Corvette Bummer”, and
especially “Fume” really spoke to my adolescence as well as my interest in
expanding the confines of alternative music. Beck’s music was strange, funny,
and unique, standing out among a crowded music store filled with crunchy grunge
power chords and riffs. Although I loved his experimentation, I especially
loved his acoustic work on One Foot in the Grave, Stereopathic Soulmanure,
and A Western Harvest Field by Moonlight. I loved how raw and
experimental they were, allowing listeners into the odd process that Beck used
to construct (or maybe de-construct) these idiosyncratic songs. The first
section of Riesman’s book takes us through these thrilling times to see how
Beck not only developed his musicianship, but also how he evolved from a
strange hip-hop loving folk and blues musician into the party boy who had two
turntables and a microphone. Riesman’s reporting, though, doesn’t just focus on
Beck’s life and career. Rather, she takes the fans’ perspectives, reminding
readers how exciting and different Beck’s music was, and how it spoke to those
who were different, those who didn’t fit in with the typical crowds in schools
or who were searching for new and different sounds. She introduces us Truck and
Donna, two fans who ended up creating Beck fanzines and websites in the early
days of the internet. It was amazing to learn how both of these fans eventually
gained access to Beck, although in different ways. Riesman’s reporting allows
us to see not only how indifferent Beck initially was to success, but also how
uncomfortable he was to fame and attention. I actually liked how Riesman
includes multiple narratives that detail Beck’s biography and career
development with his fan’s perspectives and interests. Also included in these
chapters are a focus on Beck’s family, including his mother, his Scientologist
and musical father, and his Fluxus-performance artist grandfather, Al Hansen,
whose own life seemed to be shaped more by myth and memory than reality and
history. Riesman skillfully constructs chapters with these competing narratives
to allow readers to learn more about the enigmatic Beck, and how guarded his
background is. While Riesman indicates part of this was due to Beck’s
discomfort with the limelight initially, she also suggests that his eventual
engagement with the Church of Scientology also has something to do with his changing
public persona that remained cautiously guarded.
Although I don’t know much about Scientology except from Lawrence
Wright’s incredible book Going Clear (which was cited throughout some of
the chapters), it’s clear that Scientology has had a disruptive impact on many
people’s lives. Riesman provides some background about the origins of Scientology,
as well as their growth from a strange sci-fi group to an IRS recognized
religion, without getting into the strange and sordid details. I was actually
impressed with how concise her reporting is. Although there have been rumors
about Beck’s involvement with Scientology and some evidence provided from Riesman,
no of it seems to indicate a definitive explanation for Beck’s later music nor
his personal life. I too agree that Beck’s music, especially after Sea
Change seemed to become somewhat vapid, with occasional good songs here and
there. Nothing ever reached the consistent whole album of records like Odelay
or Mutations. It can be difficult to continuously reinvent oneself or
find ways to keep music fresh and appealing. We’ve seen this with many other
artists who struggle with remaining relevant while still trying to maintain
creative control from record labels. Could it be that Beck was under pressure
to craft more hit singles rather than pursue his passion and interest in
exploring new sounds? Was the record label looking for more of the same,
banking on safe, formulaic music rather than exciting experimentation? Riesman
seems to suggest that Beck’s father, David Campbell, and other Scientologists
were more to blame, as Beck began to be viewed as a pop music messiah who might
also be able to recruit new members with his infectious and popular music. She
cites the role of actors like Tom Cruise who attribute their popularity and
success to Scientology’s principles. It’s an interesting premise, but one that
Riesman is never able to completely nail. Much of the evidence she relies on is
based on events, interviews with friends of friends, and other kinds of
speculation that I found somewhat questionable. At the center of the Riesman’s
claims are the tragic deaths of Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan, two artists who
had connections to Beck. Jeremy Blake, a digital artist, worked with Beck on
the cover for Sea Change, while his partner Theresa Duncan proposed that
Beck star in a movie she was planning to direct that was a 1970s set in NYC
take on Alice in Wonderland. Duncan and Blake both died at their own hands in
July 2007, and there’s been speculation that their deaths were the result of harassment
by Scientology, with Riesman implicitly blaming Beck for their deaths. It was
pretty shocking to read since there was no clear evidence of harassment.
Riesman documents that Blake and Duncan grew increasingly conspiratorial and
paranoid, eventually withdrawing into a strange apartment in NYC. While Duncan
blamed Beck’s eventually exit from the planned film for the project’s failure,
it looked to me like the possibility of the changing tastes in films. Films
like these are especially hard to find funding for, and I would imagine that a
first time female director might face additional challenges to making a 1970s remake
of Alice in Wonderland set in NYC. I wondered if possibly Duncan and Riesman
were attributing the obstacles that this project faced to other outside forces.
This also made the implications of Beck’s involvement in their deaths even more
frustrating since there was no clear evidence to show this. While Scientology
does have a history of harassing its perceived enemies, and Riesman provides
examples and the kinds of labeling that the organization uses for those who
pose a threat, it’s not clear why Beck or Scientology would mark Blake and
Duncan as suppressive persons or why they were considered fair game especially
when they didn’t really seem to attack Beck. Riesman does suggest that Beck
possibly wanted out, but was pulled back in to Scientology, but again, there’s
not real definitive evidence.
This kind of hearsay was also used to document Beck’s
breakup with his longtime partner Leigh Limon, who helped style Beck during his
transformation from urban slacker to a retro-styled entertainer. As Riesman
documents, Limon eventually grew distant from Beck as he continued to tour the
world and she remained at home. She made attempts to spend more time with him,
but he remained aloof and distant. Riesman notes how Beck’s father and mother
became more of a presence in his life as he became more famous, and suggests
that this was the reason for Beck’s distance from Limon. However, as Riesman
also noted with pre-fame Beck, he was always aloof and distant, struggling to
interact with others and often seeming spacy or disengaged. I wondered too how
much fame and the pressure to maintain hit records and tour constantly may have
challenged him and affected his relationships with those he was close with. He
seemed like he was unconcerned about fame, and listening to some of his earlier
independent releases, he didn’t seem like he wanted to make pop music, but
rather pursued his own idiosyncratic passions and interests. We also have to
remember that this was around the time of Kurt Kobain’s death, where
alternative music was experiencing a kind of identity crisis, with calls to
keep things real and not sell out. Could Beck’s success also have created his
own identity crisis? Riesman’s reporting says that Beck accused Limon of
cheating and substance abuse, apparently fed to him by other Scientologists
while he was touring Japan. While this is also a possibility, I wondered why
Beck would believe accusations like this, especially about a loved one, without
verifying. I ended up empathizing with Limon, whose job, home, car, and other possessions
were all owned by Beck. She was swiftly evicted and struggled to get back on
her feet. Riesman didn’t interview her, but provides details about what she is
currently up to and how she saw Beck at a concert, but didn’t talk to him.
Limon’s experience, as well as those of some of Beck’s other early supporters,
were troubling and sad, yet it’s not completely clear whether Scientology
factored into these breaks or not. Even if they did, I don’t necessarily think
they caused the deaths of Blake and Duncan. I would need to review more of the
facts to make any clear indication, and while Riesman creates a compelling
narrative, it seemed like the facts operate more around correlation than
causation.
Despite these fallacies, Riesman has crafted an exciting
book about an enigmatic figure in the music world who has undergone many
transformations (or Mutations) not only musically but also stylistically.
I loved learning more about Beck’s early beginnings in LA and New York, and how
his strange blend of folk music and hip-hop gradually evolved to become such a
fascinating mix of styles. I also loved learning about his family, especially
his grandfather and mother, who each participated in the art world that
possibly shaped Beck’s own vision and styles. Nevertheless, Riesman also
reports on some of the questionable behavior from Beck that led to fallouts,
estrangements, and other breaks that seemed to come from nowhere without
warning. Whether it was scientology or some other variable, Riesman seems to
have her mind made up. I appreciated her reporting, but I had my own questions
about these claims. Nevertheless, this was a fascinating read, and it spurred
my renewed interest in Beck’s music and life. Highly recommended! Many thanks
to Atria Books and NetGalley for sharing an advanced copy.
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